Mental Health and Substance Use Triage Nurse (RN/RPN), Outpatient Services - VGH

Vancouver Coastal Health • Vancouver, BC

2d • CA$41 - CA$56 • Onsite

About The Position

This role involves providing initial client screening for referral priority, appropriateness, and urgency of needs within the Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) Outpatient team at Vancouver General Hospital. The nurse will act as a liaison, assess client care needs, coordinate client allocations, and ensure workload distribution. The position requires prioritizing daily workloads for urgent needs and referrals. Additionally, the nurse will provide holistic, evidence-informed nursing care for clients with complex MHSU needs, including comprehensive assessment, risk identification, and mitigation. Responsibilities include coordinating treatment, offering psychoeducation, harm reduction, and medication management, delivering therapeutic interventions like crisis response and counseling, and maintaining professional documentation. The role also involves advocating for client rights, liaising with agencies, and participating in case conferences. The work is guided by VCH’s commitments to Indigenous Cultural Safety, Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and Planetary Health. The MHSU Outpatient Services program offers short-term support (up to 6 months) for adults experiencing moderate to severe mental health or concurrent mental health and substance use disorders impacting daily functioning.

Requirements

• Current practicing registration as a Registered Nurse or Registered Psychiatric Nurse with the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM).
• Two (2) years’ recent experience providing nursing care for individuals with mental health conditions and/or substance use disorders, including recent experience in care and transition planning, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• Valid BC Driver’s License required as local area travel may require the use of a vehicle or other accepted mode of transportation.
• Demonstrated knowledge of mental health and substance use theory and practice including therapeutic communication, crisis intervention and management, psychopharmacology and pharmacology, interdisciplinary care coordination and case management, individual and group counseling, key VCH and non-VCH community resources, and the nursing process.
• Demonstrated ability to triage multiple client’s needs, prioritize urgent situations and escalate level of care as appropriate.
• Demonstrated knowledge of frameworks guiding nursing practice including client and family-oriented care, healthy equity, and psychosocial rehabilitation.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Trauma and Violence Informed Practice, harm reduction approaches, recovery oriented and strengths-based care.
• Demonstrated ability to promote Indigenous cultural safety.
• Demonstrated ability to provide competent and culturally safe care in a variety of settings including with diverse populations.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, regulatory, policy and decision support tools and professional and practice standards contextualizing and enabling care in this setting (i.e. Mental Health Act, Adult Guardianship Act, BCCNM Standards).
• Demonstrated skill in clinical techniques such as motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioural therapy, or individual supportive counselling, group facilitation or psychoeducation.
• Demonstrated skill in the application of the nursing process including appropriate screening, assessment, risk identification, care planning, intervention(s), and evaluation.
• Demonstrated skill in the prudent selection and application of standards, assessments and measures defined by the organization for the service/practice setting.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and mitigate key risks (e.g. overdose risk/prevention, psychosis, suicide risk, medication side effects) through evidence-informed nursing practice, interdisciplinary care coordination, client- and family-centred care planning and case management.
• Demonstrated ability to work with clients and families using a variety of care modalities including but not limited to in-person, clinic, virtual and outreach visits.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team environment with diverse people through effective verbal and written communication, consultation, problem-solving, facilitation, conflict mediation and resolution.
• Demonstrated ability to adapt to unexpected and challenging events, and reconsider workload priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively use clinical digital information systems for care documentation, risk communication, and care planning.
• Basic computer literacy skills including the use of word processors, spreadsheets, printers, fax, email and calendar functions.
• Physical ability to perform the duties of the position.

Responsibilities

• Provide initial client screening related to referral priority and appropriateness of referrals, urgency of needs, and confirmation of the appropriate required service.
• Act as a liaison with other internal and external teams to assess client care needs.
• Coordinate site-specific client allocations/assignments based on priority, ensure workload is distributed evenly, and client care needs are met.
• Follow established standardized client allocation/assignment processes and utilize established escalation procedures to ensure timely and appropriate client allocation/assignment to not delay care provision.
• Prioritize daily workload to accommodate urgent client needs and referrals.
• Provide holistic, evidence-informed nursing care to clients with complex mental health and substance use needs through comprehensive assessment, risk identification and mitigation strategies, and collaborative care planning.
• Coordinate and monitor treatment and response in partnership with clients, families, and community supports, offering psychoeducation, harm reduction, and medication management.
• Deliver a range of therapeutic interventions including crisis response, counselling, and motivational interviewing, while maintaining professional documentation and regulatory standards.
• Advocate for client rights, liaise with emergency and community agencies, and actively participate in case conferences to address emerging issues.
• Uphold professional standards through ongoing learning, mentorship, and engagement in quality improvement to enhance team capacity and client care.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health benefits package, including MSP, extended health and dental and municipal pension plan
• Employer-paid training and leadership development opportunities
• Wellness supports, including counselling, critical incident and innovative wellness services are available to employees and their immediate families
• Award-winning recognition programs to honour staff, medical staff and volunteers
• Access to exclusive discount offers and deals for VCH staff

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed